1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dip tube and valve with a quick-disconnect coupling for use in combination with a collapsible, sealed container to dispense a liquid product therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many exemplary dip tubes are available in the prior art which permit the extraction of a product from a container. The most conventional dip tube is an elongated cylindrical tube which includes an upper portion connected to a valve and an open lower portion positioned within the product to be extracted from the container. For example, Daniels, U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,571, discloses a conventional bag-in-box type of dispensing package including a dip tube 13.
Another example of a dip tube positioned within a flexible bag is disclosed by Kramer et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,859,899. The dip tube includes perforations 38 through which syrup or other material positioned within the flexible bag is sucked therefrom by means of a pump.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,411 to Zohe discloses a baby nursing bottle including a rigid member 12 which precludes the bending of the flexible bag 4 thus preventing the sealing off of the aperture at the top end of the bottle through which the milk is sucked.
It is conventional in the pressurized container industry to position a dip tube within an aerosol container for dispensing the product therethrough. A number of exemplary dip tubes are illustrated in the prior art which are used within pressurized containers. For example, Roth et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,582; Micallef, U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,036; Venus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,557; Stewart, U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,832; Harris et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,475; and Petterson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,026 all disclose dip tubes positioned within an aerosol container. These conventional dip tubes are designed to dispense a product by means of a pressurized source which pushes the product through the dip tube.